Today’s Yahrtzeits & History – 4 Cheshvan

Rav Kalonimus Kalman Shapira,Piacezna Rebbe, author of Chovos Hatalmidim and Aish Kodesh (1889-1944). His father, Rav Elimelech of Grodzisk, was a direct descendant of the Magid of Kozhnitz and of the “Noam Elimelech” of Lizhensk. He was named Kalonimus Kalman after his maternal grandfather, the Maor Vashemesh. In 1905, Rav Kalonimus Kalman married Rachel Chaya Miriam, the daughter of Rav Yerachmiel Moshe of Kozhnitz. She helped him prepare his drashas and seforim, even adding pertinent insights of her own. After the Warsaw Ghetto uprising was crushed in Nissan 1943, Rav Klonimus Kalmish was taken to the Trevaniki work camp near Lublin. Prisoners who were completely “worked out” by exhaustion and starvation were removed and sent to the Treblinka and Rav Klonimus Kalmish met his death there on 4 Cheshvan, 1944.

Rav Aryeh Leib Gurwicz (1906-1982). He was born Leib Kushelevsky in the small town of Malat, Poland. After Leib had learned in the Mir for eight years, the rosh yeshiva, Rav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, and the mashgiach ruchani, Rav Yeruchom Levovitz, recommended that he travel to study under the Brisker Rav. He later married the daughter of Rav Elya Lopian, and became Rosh Yeshiva of Gateshead. He authored Roshei She’arim (a compilation of some shiruim which he delivered in the yeshiva), Arza Devei Rav (which contains hundreds of chiddushim on Shas). His sefer Meorei She’arim was printed posthumously by his talmidim, and consists of mussar and hashkafic talks that Rav Gurwicz gave over the years.

Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Dan Landa, the Strikover Rebbe (1943). The son of Rav Elimelech Menachem Mendel Landau, he was murdered by the Nazis.

Rav Yoav Yehoshua Weingarten of Kintzk, the Chelkas Yoav (1845-1923). His foundation in learning was established by Rav Zev Nachum Borenstein, the Agudas Eizov, but his rav muvhak was his son, Rav Avraham Borenstein, the Avnei Nezer, who was only 6 years his elder. In 1883, Rav Yoav accepted the positions of Rav and Rosh yeshiva in Litomirsk. In 1889, he became Rav of Gustinin, and founded a yeshiva there. From 1894 until his petira, he served as Rav in Kintzk. In 1894, he published Chlkas Yoav. He also published a sefer called Kava Dekesheisa, 103 unanswered kushyos on Shas intended to whet the minds of bnei yeshiva. After the petira of the Avnei Nezer, Rav Yoav accepted the authority of his son, the Shem MiShmuel. After his own petira, his only son, Rav Meir succeeded him as Rav of Kintzk. His son held the post for 27 years until he and his entire family were murdered.

Today in History – 4 Cheshvan

· 180 Jews killed in Munich, 1285
· Torquemada was appointed Inquisitor-General of Spain, 1483
· “Red Purim” in which the Jewish community in Algiers was saved from the navy of Karl V and the Spanish Admiral Doria which tried to capture the Algerian coast, 1541
· Austria’s Jews were forbidden to have the first names of Christian saints, 1834
· Romanian soldiers massacre 26,000 Jews in Odessa, 1941.
· Nazis liquidate Riga ghetto, 1943

{Yahrtzeits licensed to Matzav.com by Manny Saltiel and Anshe.org/Matzav.com Newscenter}